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Tampa Bay Buccaneers

5 Takeaways from Buccaneers vs. Colts

Five things that stood out in the Bucs' Week 12 loss to the Colts.

Photos from Buccaneers vs. Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.

1. Doug Martin is a beast.
The Bucs' running back is putting up some impressive numbers. For the second time in his career, Martin has rushed for 1,000 yards in a single season. He picked up 97 yards on just 14 carries in the Bucs' loss to the Colts, an average of 6.9 yards per carry. For the second week in a row, Martin picked up a run of 50 yards or longer; against the Colts, he had a long of 56. Martin is on pace to finish the season with 1,509 rushing yards. He's currently averaging 94 yards per game.

2. Penalties were too difficult to overcome.
The Buccaneers were plagued with penalties on Sunday, one of which gave the Colts a fresh set of downs after missing a field goal late in the game. The Bucs finished the game having been flagged 12 times for 95 yards. Comparatively, the Colts were penalized six times for 45 yards.

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  1. Vincent Jackson has been a welcome addition back into the Bucs' lineup.**
    Jackson missed three games with a knee injury, leaving the Buccaneers somewhat inexperienced in the wide receiver room. Since he returned to the field last week, he's been able to make immediate contributions. Jackson led the Bucs in receiving yards against the Colts with 76 and also had the team's longest reception of the day, hauling in a 21-yarder.

4. Howard Jones is progressing tremendously.
Jones, an undrafted second-year player out of Division 2 Shepherd University in West Virginia, picked up a sack against the Colts, bringing him to 4.5 this season. He is currently third on the team in sacks behind Gerald McCoy and Jacquies Smith. As Jones has performed, his role has gradually increased. When Smith left Sunday's game with a hamstring injury, he was the player to step in and work with the first-team.

5.  Jameis Winston has protected the football.
Winston was one late-game heave away from finishing his sixth game in seven contests without an interception. He's thrown just three picks since Week 4, with his interception against Indy coming late in the game and with his team down by double digits. Winston has thrown for 175 yards or more in each of his games this season, missing the 200-yard mark just once.

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